Responsibilities

• attending work regularly, but in the event of absence, notifying and certifying sickness absence in accordance with the contractual arrangements notified in the Conditions of Service or for seconded staff in accordance with the terms of the secondment agreement;
• keeping their manager informed regularly of progress towards recovery and return to work during periods of absence;
• reporting any accidents or other safety-relating incidents immediately, in accordance with the accident reporting requirements detailed in the University Safety Policy;
• taking reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and other people who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work, as required under the Health and Safety at Work Act and the University Safety Policy.

Managers are responsible for:

• ensuring that all staff are fully aware of the contractual requirements and procedures for notifying and certifying sickness and that these requirements are applied (e.g. by issuing specific College/Professional Service procedures to staff);
• recording sickness absence in accordance with University and College/Professional Service administrative procedures;
• monitoring and responding to sickness absence in accordance with this Code of Practice, ensuring that standards of sensitivity, fairness, consistency and confidentiality are maintained and taking advice from Human Resources;
• maintaining appropriate contact with members of staff while absent;
• carrying out return to work discussion with employees;
• managing the consequences of absence on the operation of the service and other staff;
• ensuring that any accidents or other safety-relating incidents are reported immediately, in accordance with the accident reporting requirements detailed in the University Safety Policy;
• undertaking the responsibilities detailed in the University's Safety Policies and Procedures to ensure safe systems of work, including appropriate training;
• offering training in Health & Safety management, stress management, and absence management;
• discussing the referral process with employees, when necessary, and gaining their consent to being referred to the Occupational Health Service before doing so.

Management Information (MI) Hub

For all people with management responsibilities, the My Team report will show absence data. To see detailed sickness information for your team, go to the ‘Sickness Absence’ button along the top of the screen. This useful information includes an absence summary and a summary of people who have recurrent short term absence or long term absence.  You can also ‘drill’ into any team member’s details by clicking on their staff number in the ‘Current Staff List’ on the right of the screen.

For Senior Managers the My College/Service report will show full absence data and is updated every 24 hours.

Deans/College Managers/Directors of Service are responsible for:

• sharing sickness monitoring reports with relevant managers;
• ensuring that records held in the Colleges/Services are kept securely and confidentially and data protection rules are adhered to.

Human Resources is responsible for:

• providing training to enable managers to apply the principles and procedures of this Code of Practice to sickness absence;
• providing Colleges and Professional Services with regular management information for sickness absence monitoring;
• advising managers on appropriate responses to sickness absence in accordance with this Code of Practice;
• making referrals to the University's Occupational Health Service;
• advising managers on redeployment, phased returns, reduced hours of work, retirements and associated issues, as appropriate, based on advice from Occupational Health;
• advising employees who are absent when their SSP and University Sick Pay status changes.

The Occupational Health Service maintains a confidential service to employees.  However, in relation to managing sickness absence procedures the University's Occupational Health Service is responsible for:

• (in response to a formal referral from Human Resources) providing information and advice on the nature, extent and impact of any medical condition in relation to a member of staff’s contractual duties (with the member of staff's consent);
• where staff do not give consent for the OHS to report back to HR, a simple but functional report will be sent declaring the member of staff’s fitness to work or otherwise
• advising on possible adjustments to working arrangements, for managers to consider;
• providing advice, information and support to the members of staff;
• ensuring that appropriate standards of confidentiality are maintained;
• involving the University’s Disability Resource Centre, as appropriate;
• recommending that staff approach Access to Work for additional support, if deemed appropriate.

Sickness Information Coordinators are based in Colleges and Services. They are responsible for:

• regularly updating sickness absence information for employees in their area in Trent HR;
• ensuring electronic self-certification forms (or PD77 forms where the employe has no access to email or University systems) are completed for each individual absence and are securely maintained, together with any relevant medical certificates;
• notifying the Pay and Benefits Office of the details of agreed graduated returns to work following extended sickness absence.